72 Br Craig on tlte Excursion of [sess. li. 



for, from Professor Graham's accovmt of the discovery of this 

 plant on Ben Avon by Mr Mackenzie and Dr Barry in 1831, 

 it appears to have been after August that they found it. 



Before 1838 it was found by Joseph Woods on Ben Nevis, 

 but the exact date of Mr Woods' find I cannot ascertain. 

 There is no record of the plant having been found in 

 Britain after these dates till 1886, when it was found by the 

 Scottish Alpine Botanical Club in Glen Spean. 



On Wednesday, 4th August, the members of the Club left 

 Roy Bridge by the mail coach for Kingussie. The day waS' 

 very fine, and the drive was most delightful. On passing 

 along the side of Loch Laggan the sun was shining brightly, 

 there was not a ripple on the surface of the water, and the 

 reiiection of the clouds and high mountains from the svuface 

 of the loch was much admired by all. 



After reaching Kingussie we took train for Pitlochrie, 

 and were comfortably entertained in Fisher's Hotel. Before 

 dinner we ascended Ben Vrackie, a mountain close to and 

 north of Pitlochrie, and 2757 feet high. We found several 

 good alpine plants, including Oxi/tropis Uralcnsis, DC, and 

 Astragahis alpinvs, L., both in tlower. This mountain was 

 visited by Professor Balfour in 18U7, and a record of plants 

 collected is given in vol. ix. page 293 of the Transactions 

 of the Society. But his list docs not include either of 

 these plants, althougli both were found by us in great 

 abundance, esi)ecially Astragalus alimins. This plant was 

 first discovered on Pien Vrackie in September 1884 by Mr 

 Ncill Fraser, a member of our Club. Previously it was 

 only known to grow on two mountains in Britain, — one in 

 Clova, and the other in Braemar. It was first discovered 

 in Scotland, on 30th July 1831, on a steep cliff in Glen 

 Bole, Clova, by the late Mr Braml. In August 1842 the 

 late Professor Balfour found it on Little Craigendal in 

 P.raemar, and in Se])tend)er- 1884 it was discovered by Mr 

 X(ull Fi-ascr on Ben Vrackie. 



Ill iiiiuiy parts of Ben Vrackie the (iiif is full of this pretty 

 legiimiiioiis ])lant, and it is a mysiciy how it remained so 

 long undiscovered, and liad even (!scai)ed the vigilant eye of 

 the late Professor Balfour, who had carefully examined the 

 botiiny of the mountain. 



On Thursday, 5tli August, the members of the Club 



